Guys and Dolls
by Fernalidana
Summary: Five young men, five young women, their destinies entertwined. Though once they were alone, they shall find peace together. Chapter ten: Things wind down, and at last the guys and dolls are together.
1. Loners

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing. I don't own Sailor Moon. I don't own "Guys and Dolls" either, but that's not really in the story. I will most likely make references to it, however. Just as a warning.

**__**

Guys and Dolls

One: Loners

The year was After Colony 197.

Two years had passed since the Earth and the Colonies waged war against each other. Men and women were killed during this war. There were many towns and villages destroyed, many colonies endangered. The Earth and the Colonies were finally at peace with one another, thanks to five young men and their mobile suits, called Gundams.

The five Gundam pilots saw that their suits were no longer necessary in this time of peace, so they put to rest the instruments of war forever. None but the pilots themselves know what happened to these mobile suits and the secret of their destruction was forgotten in time. The pilots went their separate ways and lived their lives peacefully…

======

Relena Dorlin (or Relena Peacecraft) quietly gathered her things. She had a smile playing on her lips, and it was not because many men came up to her and congratulated her on her speech. She was smiling for another reason entirely. She walked towards the exit but paused before continuing over the threshold.

"So," she began, "did you like my speech?" This question was followed by silence, and a casual observer would think she was speaking to herself. She continued to smile. "I know you're there, Heero." There was a slight movement in the shadows. Her eyes adjusted to the dark and soon the form of Heero Yuy was recognizable. He had his arms crossed over his chest and he was leaning against the wall.

"I heard it," he answered.

"I asked if you liked it."

"My opinion doesn't matter." She sighed in exasperation. He was always that way, but that didn't mean it aggravated her any less. She casually smoothed out a wrinkle in her dress.

"When are you going to ask me out on a date?" This also was followed by silence. She wasn't bothered. It was a typical Heero response. "Heero, you know I care about you, and I know you care about me. Why do you insist on being so cold?" Again her question was answered with silence. She glanced at him to see if his face spoke for him. No; his face bore no expression. "Heero, please say something. When you ignore me, it feels like you're not even here."

"I'm here," he stated.

"Then why don't you say something?" He shrugged his shoulders.

"What do you want me to say?"

"Anything!"

"All right. Good-bye." He turned and walked away. Relena was caught off guard but she quickly recovered.

"What? Heero, where are you going?" He turned his head slightly and smiled.

"You said I could say anything." Her face turned red. _He can be so cold sometimes! I don't even know why I put up with him!_

"Heero, if I didn't love you so much, I'd hate you!" she sputtered. He casually waved and continued walking. 

======

_Relena… Sorry I have to be this way to you all the time. You know how it is. You've known me well for a long time. When was it that we met? It was two years ago. I wonder… were you in love with me for that long?_ Heero sighed and brushed a strand of hair away from his face. _I don't show it, but I think you know how I feel about you. That's why you put up with me. But you know, I've been a loner for so long… I don't know how else to act…_

======

The day couldn't have been better. The birds were chirping, the sun was shining, and here he was relaxing in the shade. Dark glasses hid his closed eyes from view. A smug grin was on his face. His hands were nestled behind his head and his legs were stretched out on the lawn chair he was occupying. Suddenly his hat was ripped off his head and he received a blow on the cheek.

"Hey!" He tore off his sunglasses and glanced around, trying to find his attacker. He calmed down when he realized it was his boss.

"Get back to work, you lazy good-for-nothin'!" His hat was jammed back on his head. He grumbled a protest but didn't say it loud enough for his boss to hear. He pocketed his sunglasses and grudgingly got back to work. "This fella's been waitin' to get his car looked at for ten minutes!" His boss indicated a very pudgy fellow with a pink face.

"I was just taking a break."

"Your break's not for another two hours, you lazy dope!" This time it was his boss' hat that struck him. "Now quit mopin' about and get to work!" He sighed and shuffled over to the pudgy customer. 

"What's the trouble?"

"My engine won't start," the customer whined. Grunting, he opened up the hood. A blast of hot air stung his cheeks. _No wonder it won't start! The engine's overheated!_ "Excuse me, young man, but is your last name Maxwell?"

"Yeah, that's right." _This won't be cheap_. "Say, mister, did you know your engine's overheated?"

"Oh, so… that's why it won't start?" _Yeah. Damn, where'd I put…?_ "Your name's Duo Maxwell, then? As in the famous Gundam pilot?"

"Well, I wouldn't exactly say _famous_," he chuckled, grinning proudly.

"So what's a war hero doing here?"

"Getting money so I can pay the bills."

"Duo!" He jerked his head up, accidentally knocking into the hood of the car. "Stop socializing with the customers!"

"Yes, sir!"

======

No one cherished this time of peace more than the one Gundam pilot who had been a pacifist from the beginning: Quatre Raberba Winner. Now that the threat was over, he finally had time to do all the things he had been putting off. His sisters constantly egged him to go out and find a girlfriend; he assured them that he would when he was ready. There was so much more he wanted to do that a girlfriend just couldn't fit in the picture yet. Not that he didn't _want_ a girlfriend. He promised himself, and his sisters, that he would make time for girls.

"I just don't know," he muttered to himself. He pressed his forehead on the windowpane. "Maybe I'm destined to be a loner, like the other Gundam pilots." He sighed, causing the window to fog up a little. Something in the sky caught his attention. He stared at it, then blinked and took a closer look. _It couldn't be…_ He ran outside and stared at it again. _A shooting star? Or a comet?_ He watched the object descend to the earth. _Well, if it is a shooting star, I'd better make a wish._

"All right," he said aloud. "I wish that myself and the other Gundam pilots won't have to be loners our whole lives. I wish we could each find a girl and be happy." The star/comet/whatever-it-was glimmered for a moment, then disappeared, leaving Quatre alone in the quiet afternoon.

======

He quietly took off his half-mask and wiped a bead of sweat from his face. It was hot in the circus tent, especially on a warm afternoon. His act wouldn't be on for a while yet. He took the time to get a drink of water and relax in the shade. It was another boring day. He was used to excitement and battles. This time of peace just wasn't his style. _I wonder how Heero's handling it?_ he thought. He missed being a Gundam pilot but if he was being truly honest with himself, he kind of liked these times of peace. Sort of.

"What are you smiling about, Trowa?"

"Not much. I was just thinking." He knew the voice and was expecting her when she came in to join him. It was Catherine, just as he thought. She looked a little worn out. Trowa idly wondered if she was hot in her costume.

"Any special thoughts?"

"No. Not really." She looked a little disappointed. Trowa knew all about her feelings for him, but she knew that he preferred being a loner. He had only stayed with the circus this long because it traveled a lot, and that was much better than staying in the same place all the time like the other Gundam pilots.

"Oh. I see… Hey, you're up in about five minutes. You'd better get ready." Trowa sighed wearily and put his half-mask back on. _No rest for the weary, I guess._

======

It was quiet on the mountainside. The steady trickle of the stream interrupted the calm of the afternoon. A lone figure sat cross-legged on the mountain, his eyes shut tightly. Bugs crawled all over this young man but he didn't even move. Not even a bird's song distracted him from his meditation. He sat there without need of food or drink for over an hour. The sun began to crawl slowly towards the western horizon.

He had once been a fighter. Every moment of his life had been a risk, a gamble to live or to die. He had once gone into battle with a mighty mobile suit. Those days were over now. When once he had four companions to share in the life of a warrior, now he was alone. It was better this way. He liked the times of peace. He no longer had to live with the thought that he was the cause of death and tears. He could enjoy the rest of his life in solitude. Certainly his friends would come and see him but he would mostly be alone. That was how he liked it. 

The life of a warrior had been a lonely one. He was no longer a warrior but he still lead the life of a loner. Once a loner, always a loner. That was how it was for him. His shadow was the only part of him that moved as the sun sank lower into the distance. 

Author's note: I haven't seen Gundam Wing in a while, so if I OOC them it's not on purpose. That's about it!


	2. Femme

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Two: Femme

She stumbled a few steps but controlled her body before she fell over. Her eyes darted restlessly around but she could find no trace of the enemy they had been chasing. This place she was in looked unfamiliar. What she found even stranger was that she was back in her school uniform. Fear gripped at her heart. She glanced down at the ground and was relieved to find her transforming pen. She snatched it up and put it in her pocket.

"Where are we?" she asked. She turned only to find she was no longer with her friends. This discovery frightened her further. How had she lost them? Where was she, anyway? The place looked like a fairly small town with a few cafes and other shops scattered about. This was most certainly not her home. What had happened? She and her friends were chasing a monster. The monster had created a dimensional gate to escape from them (that had happened quite a lot in the past) and they followed. But there was no sign of the monster in this place. Something solid smacked into her. "Hey!" She spun around. Her anger soon dissipated when she saw one of her friends.

"Ow! That hurt!" She had never been so happy to see her carefree friend.

"Mina, there you are!"

"Yeah, of course," the other girl responded. "Where else would I be?" She blinked her blue eyes in astonishment. "Where are we?"

"I don't know, but the monster we were chasing isn't here."

"Ack! My transforming pen!" Mina cried, grabbing the pen from off the ground.

"Where are the others?"

"I'm not sure," Mina frowned. "I remember following that monster into the dimensional gate, then I guess I got knocked out because the next thing I knew I was here. Do you think we were thrown into a different dimension than the monster?"

"I don't know. We're in a different place, that's for sure." Suddenly another one of their friends appeared literally out of nowhere. It was a good thing that they were the only ones in the town, or this phenomenon would've been the cause of some unwanted attention. They noticed that her transforming pen was on the ground by her feet. It was picked up and returned to the proper owner.

"What happened?" she asked, glancing around curiously.

"Amy's here!" Mina cheered. 

"Why the excitement, Mina?" Amy chuckled.

"You can use your computer to see where we are!"

"I'm surprised you thought of that, Mina." 

"Lay off, Raye!" Raye merely smiled. Amy opened her mini-computer and began tapping a few keys. Her friends watched her at work. Neither of them knew much about machines so they kept quiet while Amy did her calculations. Amy paused with her fingers still hovering over the keys.

"This… can't be right."

"What's wrong, Amy?" Mina wondered. Before Amy could answer, another girl popped into view. She noticed where her transformation pen was and picked it up before she took notice of where she was.

"This doesn't look like the negaverse."

"That's because it's not," said Amy weakly. She closed her computer. "I think the dimensional gate threw us here."

"So, where exactly are we?" Mina questioned.

"And where's Serena?" Raye added. Her question was soon answered by the arrival of a fifth girl. Unlike the others, this girl stumbled and fell flat on her face. The four girls cringed in unison and helped the klutz to her feet. She was no longer transformed but her brooch was still attached to her school uniform.

"The minute I get my hands on that monster, I'll…." She stopped her threat. She glanced around, her face blank. "Uh… something tells me we're not where we're supposed to be."

"Bravo, meatball head!" Raye snapped.

"But _where are we_?" Mina demanded.

"We're in another dimension. It seems that something went wrong with the gate and we were all accidentally put here instead of wherever the monster was going," Amy explained.

"Oh, no! We're lost!" Serena cried.

"Not lost. Just misplaced," Amy corrected. She began tapping on her computer again. "There are two ways we could get back to our own dimension. We could wait for the monster to come back and reopen the gate, or we could wait until it reopens on its own."

"And which one is more likely to happen?" Raye asked.

"The first one is a bit less likely but easier. The second will happen no matter what, but it will take a while."

"How does a dimensional gate open itself?"

"Well, Lita, we're not supposed to be here, so the dimensional gate will open simply because it realizes we're not supposed to be here."

"Huh?" All four of her friends looked confused.

"Uh… never mind. Let's just say that we'll get back."

"When?" Serena asked.

"According to my calculations, the gate will reopen itself in about ten months or so."

"TEN _MONTHS_?!" the others shouted.

"Ten months. Yikes," Lita cringed. "What are we supposed to do until then?" Serena spotted something. She squealed and pointed excitedly. Her friends looked where she was pointing. They saw a sign that advertised a traveling circus that was to come nearby the very next day.

"Let's go see that, guys!"

"Yeah, let's go," Mina agreed. "Who knows? Maybe we'll meet up with some cute guys!"

"Cute guys? You know I'm in!" Lita grinned.

"I think we should go too. It would help us get to know more about the culture of this place," Amy nodded.

"Don't you guys think we had enough with the circus?" Raye sighed. They paid her no heed. "All right, fine. I guess it wouldn't hurt." The girls cheered and began making plans to go.

======

His cup was still hovering close to his lips. He never needed glasses and he wasn't one to have hallucinations. He was perfectly sane and his head had not been harmed. Then, how could he explain what he just saw? The bored café worker hadn't noticed the girls. He pinched himself just to make sure he wasn't dreaming, although he knew for a fact that he wasn't asleep. These girls were real, very real. But where had they come from? He was sure they weren't there before.

The first girl he noticed had long black hair and… violet eyes. He was certain she didn't know he was watching her. She wore a sailor-style school uniform. In just the few minutes he saw her he could tell she was a fighter. When she appeared he had been about to take a drink. The cup still waited, untouched by his lips. The café worker said something but he didn't hear it. This was a small town and he knew everyone in it. This girl was a stranger here.

Not long after this girl appeared, another followed. She had long hair as well, but hers was blonde. A red bow was in her hair and her eyes were blue. She also wore a sailor-type school uniform. Hers was blue and red while the other girl's was gray and black. After her came a girl with blue hair, then one taller than the others with brown hair, and lastly a girl with blonde hair wearing it in the strangest style he had ever seen. He hadn't heard any vehicle approaching. It was like they just showed up. Or maybe they were there the whole time, and he just hadn't noticed. Whichever one it was, he had a feeling that these girls were not natives of the town.

They left together, talking among themselves. He couldn't hear what they were saying. He watched them go. He took a sip of his drink. Whoever those girls were, they weren't his concern. He didn't have to worry about it. He stood up and flipped a coin on the table. He checked his watch. _Damn! I forgot to meet Relena! She's not going to be happy._ It was beginning to look like another one of those days.

======

Relena waited for over an hour and still Heero didn't show up. She was beginning to worry he wouldn't show at all. They had been a "couple" for about two years but he was still unpredictable and more a loner than Relena wanted. She was absolutely fuming. _That Heero! I can't believe I keep putting up with this nonsense! Where in the world is he? I bet he's off in some café having a drink and not even thinking about me! If he ever shows his face, I'm going to absolutely…_

"Relena." Her anger flew away. It was his voice.

"Heero." She threw her arms around him. Still not used to such treatment, he stiffened at the contact. "I thought you wouldn't come."

"Sorry."

"I'm just glad you came." She pulled away and smiled. _I'm too easy on him._

"I'll make it up to you."

"Be on time for a change. That's enough for me." She was surprised to find herself enveloped in his arms. She sighed and nestled her head on his chest. 

Ring! Ring!

"Heero, is that your phone?"

"Uh… yeah." He pushed her away and got out the phone. "Heero Yuy speaking. Uh huh. Yeah…. Tonight? It's a little short notice…. Oh, really? Okay, you got a deal." He hung up. Relena eyed him suspiciously.

"Who was that?"

"It was… uh… Duo. He, ah… wants me to come over and… help him with…. uh, something." Relena's eye twitched.

"You're lying to me."

"Relena…"

"That was someone offering you a sniper job, wasn't it? You promised you wouldn't kill anybody anymore!"

"It wasn't a sniper job!" Heero denied.

"I don't want to hear it! Just _go_, all right?" She blinked back a few tears. "You're just going to leave me anyway. So go!"

"Relena, I swear it wasn't a sniper job. I don't do those anymore, I swear. You've got to believe me," he pleaded. Tears were spilling down her cheeks. He pressed the phone into her hands. "Here, you can hit callback if you don't believe me."

"Go away," she chocked. "Just go away." She closed her eyes so she wouldn't have to see his back yet again.

======

"They're all staring at us!" Serena whined.

"I guess they think it's strange that five girls with no boyfriends are going to the circus together," Lita shrugged.

"Hey! I've got a boyfriend!" Serena snapped.

"Speaking of Darien, I wonder where he is?" Mina mused. "Wasn't he with us when we chased that monster?"

"I don't think he went through the gate," Raye sighed. They finally made it up to the front of the line. "Five tickets, please." She paid for the tickets and handed them out.

"At least we know our money's good here," Amy smiled.

"We're stuck here in a strange dimension with no real clue where we are, and all you can think about is our money?!" Serena shrieked.

"All _you_ care about is being separated from Darien," Mina reminded her.

"So what?"

"You meatball head!" Raye growled.

"You know, I forgot to thank that nice man for giving us a lift," Amy realized. "It seems as if we're going to have to rent a car if we want to go anywhere in this place."

"Well, when we _do_ get a car, I'm driving!" Raye decided.

"Hey! Why do _you_ get to drive?" Serena fumed.

"Because I'm the oldest!"

"The rest of us can drive just as well as you can!"

"Ha! You can't even walk without klutzing out! There's no way I'm letting you behind the wheel!"

"You're just being selfish!"

"Look who's talking!" The two stuck out their tongues at each other. Their three friends watched with weary expressions on their faces.

"It just never ends," Mina sighed. 

"Guys, you're causing everyone to stare at us. Please try and act civilized," Amy requested. Serena and Raye turned bright red. Mina noticed that Lita looked kind of out of it.

"Lita, are you okay?"

"That guy looks just like my old boyfriend."

"Which guy?" Raye asked. The girls scrambled to see what the guy looked like this time. It was strange that Lita got crushes on guys that "looked like her old boyfriend" but none of them had much in common. Lita was too smitten to point so her friends had to guess. Mina spotted a guy that looked pretty cute. He had on a green turtleneck and blue jeans. He had brown hair; the bangs covered up his right eye.

"He's a cutie. Is it him?" Mina pointed out the guy.

"Yeah, it's him," Lita confirmed. 

"It looks like he's going to the circus too," Amy observed.

"Hey, maybe you'll see him there, Lita!" Mina cried. Lita blushed. "I'll try and catch him and get him to sit next to you. How's that?"

"Do you really think you should do that? We don't even know him," Amy frowned.

"Aw, quit being such a worry wart. Everything will work out," Mina assured her. Amy sighed in defeat. There were just some battles she couldn't win against Mina.

"Going to the circus just turned out to be the best idea we had!" Lita grinned. 

Author's note: I'm going to be honest here. I kinda forced this, because I honestly couldn't figure out a good way for the senshi to show up in the GW world. I don't take French but I'm pretty sure _femme_ is French for "female".


	3. Under the Big Top

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Three: Under the Big Top

What once was a plain stretch of grass became a colorful array of people that all crowded into a gigantic tent. The tent was huge, its flaps welcoming one and all inside its fabric body. Children chased each other around the exterior while their parents chased them, fighting between annoyance and joy. Two young men stood outside the tent. They watched the action surrounding them. Both were smiling at the antics of the young.

"Man, Quatre, you're so lucky to be a rich kid. Workin' for a living is hard work!" Duo complained. As usual, he had his long brown hair braided. He wore a white shirt and black pants and a blue cap was nestled on his head.

"Surely it's easier than fighting for your life every day?"

"Yeah… but still!" Quatre chuckled and shook his head. He glanced around.

"Where's Heero? Shouldn't he be here by now?"

"I donno," Duo shrugged. "I guess he's trying to see Relena. She's mad at him… again."

"That Miss Relena. She's always taking his mind off his friends."

"Yeah," Duo agreed. "It's such a shame that such a smart guy like Heero had to go and fall in love with his own girlfriend." Quatre rolled his eyes but chose not to respond. The two stood outside the tent for a few more minutes. Men, women, and children passed them on their way inside. They searched the faces for one they recognized. 

"Were you guys waiting for me?" Duo and Quatre jumped in surprise. Duo spun around to see his friend Wufei Chang standing before him. The young Chinese man had a smug grin on his face, his arms tightly crossed over his chest.

"You know I hate it when you sneak up on me!" Duo snapped.

"Nice to see you too, Duo."

"Wufei, I didn't know you'd be here," Quatre smiled.

"Yeah, well, it's not like I have anything else to do." His distant attitude was akin to Heero's, which may have been the reason the two got along. "Are you waiting on Heero?"

"Yeah," Duo nodded.

"We might as well go along without him." The other two agreed and they entered the circus tent.

======

"Cutie alert!" Mina announced.

"Where? Where?" asked Serena excitedly.

"You've got a boyfriend, you meatball head!" Raye shouted.

"Actually, _three_ cuties," Mina corrected. "They look about our age. Ooh, I think the one with blonde hair is the cutest!"

"Show me!" Lita insisted. Mina pointed them out. "Wow! They _are_ cuties! What're three hot guys doing at the circus?"

"Maybe they know someone here," Amy suggested.

"Or they could be on a date and their girlfriends just aren't here yet," Raye added.

"Raye, don't say that!" Mina snapped. "I think Amy's right. Let's go try and sit next to them."

"Mina, I really don't think…."

"Great idea," Lita agreed, cutting Amy off. 

"They _are_ pretty cute," Raye noted. "And anyway, we can ask them about this place. Come on." She and Lita each grabbed one of Amy's arms and together the five girls entered the tent. The stands were already filled with hundreds of people. Luckily the three guys were easy to pick out in the crowd and soon the girls were tailing them.

"Do you really think we should be doing this?" Amy hissed. "I mean, isn't it a little rude to go up and start a conversation with a complete stranger?"

"Of course not, Amy. I should know!" Serena chuckled. Serena was indeed an expert at talking to complete strangers. Still, Amy couldn't help but feel uneasy. They were in an unfamiliar world and her friends wanted to talk to guys they didn't know. _Why am I the only one that ever thinks logically?_

======

Duo, Quatre, and Wufei chose seats midway up on the right side. It was close to the entrance so they would be able to spot Heero when he came. Many patrons recognized the Gundam pilots and gave them sufficient elbow room and then some. The stands quickly filled but there was still a big space between them and the rest of the audience. It was respect and awe that gave them this privilege, not fear. They didn't notice but continued watching for Heero.

"Excuse us, please. Coming through." The boys were slightly surprised by the arrival of five teenage girls that were all roughly their age. They were wearing sailor-style school uniforms and they all looked completely lost. Wufei watched them, only somewhat curious. 

"Hi!" chirped one of the girls. She was wearing her blonde hair in pigtails and little round balls were sitting on top of her head. "Do you guys mind if we sit here?"

"Uh… I guess not," Duo shrugged.

"Okay!" She and her friends sat down a row below them. The guys could only see the back of their heads. There was another blonde in the group; she had a red ribbon in her hair. There was also a girl with black hair, one with blue hair, and the last had brown hair tied up in a ponytail.

"How do you do, ladies?" Quatre greeted. He was always the one to be polite. "My name is Quatre. These are my friends Duo and Wufei."

"I'm Serena!" the first blonde announced. "It's nice to meet you guys!"

"My name is Amy," the girl with blue hair said.

"I'm Mina," the other blonde declared. She smiled sweetly at Quatre. He blushed slightly.

"I'm Lita," the girl with brown hair introduced. Duo had a huge goofy grin on his face. Wufei would've thought nothing of it if not for the fact that Duo was blushing. The girl with black hair remained silent.

"Raye!" Serena shouted, elbowing her friend. The girl called Raye turned her head and smiled at the three boys.

"How do you do?"

"How do you do?" Wufei echoed. This girl was somehow different from the others, and it wasn't just her violet eyes. He couldn't figure it out, but there was something special about this girl.

"Lita's a great name," Duo was saying.

"Thanks."

"You know, one of our friends is in the circus."

"Really?" Serena gasped. "What's his name?"

"Trowa. You won't get to see much of him, though. He wears a half mask"

"Does he… have brown hair with bangs so long it covers his eye?" Lita asked. Duo blinked in surprise.

"Yeah, that's him. How'd you know?"

"I saw him yesterday when we bought tickets. So his name is Trowa." While she and Duo were talking, Mina was having a conversation with Quatre.

"Do you like the circus, Quatre?"

"It's pretty fun, I guess. What about you, Mina?"

"Well, we didn't have very much fun the last time a circus was in our town. I'm sure this will be fun, though."

"Circuses usually _are_ fun. It's too bad you didn't have a good time before."

"That one's a long story," Amy said, cutting in suddenly. "One we don't have time for. Right, Mina?"

"Right. Of course," Mina nodded. Quatre was confused but he wasn't given time to ponder over this, for the show was about to begin. The ringmaster entered, cracking his whip.

"Laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaadies and gentlemennnnnnnnn! Welcome to the greatest show on Earth!" The audience burst into applause. "Our first act tonight features our very own acrobatic wonder, Trowa Barton!" The audience went absolutely wild. Said man walked out and bowed to the audience.

"It's him! It's really him!" Lita squealed.

"You mean you like _him_? Bummer!" Duo groaned.

"Don't worry about it, Duo," Serena advised. "She gets crushes on lots of guys but they hardly last a whole day." Duo felt a little better.

"Trowa will be performing one of the most dangerous feats of agility right above your heads. And he will do it without the use of a net!"

"That's how they _always_ do it," Mina noted. 

"I guess they want the audience to think they're in danger," Quatre shrugged. The group watched Trowa climb up the ladder to the top of the arena. 

There were trapeze bars on either side of a long expanse of nothing. Trowa gripped onto one of the bars and kicked off. The audience took in a collective gasp as they watched him soar through the air. He let go of the bar and did a corkscrew spin in the air and flipped upside-down. He was still only a little more than halfway between the two bars. Women were fainting and men were taking bets on whether or not he would fall. He suddenly made it to the other side and grabbed the bar with his legs. He did a flip and landed on his feet, safely on the ledge. He was given a standing ovation.

"That is _so_ cool!" Serena awed.

"He's so hot!" Lita sighed.

"Show-off," Duo grunted.

"Speak for yourself," said Wufei quietly. Duo glared at him.

"Hey, come on, guys. Let's just enjoy the rest of the show," Quatre stated. Duo grumbled an inaudible protest.

"Isn't he great, ladies and gentlemen?" the ringmaster asked.

"No!" Duo growled.

"You're acting like a child," Wufei scolded. "Why should you care if Lita has a thing for Trowa? You don't even know her."

"Quiet! I can like her if I want!" 

"Idiot."

"Hey!"

"Do I need to separate you two?" demanded Quatre hotly.

"He started it!" Duo accused, pointing at Wufei. The other boy chose to remain silent.

"Quatre, your friends aren't much different than mine," Mina chuckled. "They can act cool and grown up, but they're just silly on the inside. That includes me, of course."

"They usually don't act this way. I think it's because Duo likes your friend Lita."

"You don't have to tell the whole world!" Duo shouted.

"Of course not. You're doing it for him," Wufei noted.

"Quiet, guys," Quatre warned.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand now, ladies and gentlemen, I am pleased to introduce to you the lovely Catherine Bloom!" The young men in the audience whistled and got up on their feet in anticipation.

"Who's this Catherine girl?" Raye asked.

"Trowa's would-be girlfriend," Duo answered.

"What? He has a girlfriend?" Lita gasped.

"No. She has a big crush on him but he doesn't really like her," Wufei told her. "He just hangs around the circus because he has nothing better to do."

"So she's _not_ his girlfriend?"

"He's not the type to have one," Wufei shrugged.

"Oh. Well, maybe I can change his mind," said Lita hopefully.

"I don't have a girlfriend either!" Duo chirped. The others were too busy watching Catherine's performance to hear him. 

"She's pretty. Are you absolutely _sure_ Trowa doesn't like her?"

"Positive," Wufei nodded.

"Well, if he doesn't like _her_, what chance do _I_ have?"

"I think you're pretty!" Duo offered.

"I wouldn't worry about it too much, Lita. Most of your crushes don't last long enough for you to be concerned about dating," Mina smiled, patting her friend on the shoulder.

"I could take you out on a date!" Duo announced.

"Do any of you know a hotel we could stay at?" Amy asked. "We're, ah, kind of from out of town."

"Well, let me see here," Quatre mused. "Duo's place is hardly livable…"

"Hey! The pay's not that good! I'm not filthy rich like you!"

"You could stay with me, but then my sisters would think I'm a pimp. Wufei is a bit far from civilization. I guess you could call Relena and ask her."

"Who's Relena?" Lita wondered.

"She's a diplomat," Duo explained. "She's got all kinds of connections. I'm sure she could find a spot for you. Heck, she'd probably let you bunk at her place."

"I don't have her phone number with me," Quatre realized after patting all his pockets. "I think I gave it to one of my sisters, but I can't remember which one."

"You're never getting it back, man," Duo chuckled.

"We could just wait until we see her in person," Wufei said. "She and Heero were supposed to meet us here, but I guess they've been too busy yelling at each other."

"I'm sure she'll come by, even if Heero isn't with her," Quatre decided. 

"Laaaaaaaaaadies and gentlemennnnnnnnn, again I am pleased to give you Trowa Barton!"

"There he is again!" Lita grinned. 

"This just isn't my day," Duo sighed.

======

Relena wasn't in the mood for the circus but she came anyway. She had made a promise to come and, unlike a certain young man she knew, she kept all her promises. She didn't have to wait long for the guys. Duo, Quatre, and Wufei soon exited the circus tent, followed by five girls. _That's strange. I don't remember ever seeing these girls before…_ None of the girls looked familiar and Relena wondered if they were friends of the Gundam pilots.

"Hey, Relena!" Duo greeted. "Where's Heero?"

"You tell me."

"Huh?"

"He got a call and he claimed it was from you." 

"I didn't call him."

"I thought so. He's on another sniper mission and he lied to me about it!" The Gundam pilots exchanged glances. They expected something like that. "But anyway, who are these girls?"

"Oh! Oh, yeah!" Duo gasped. "Relena, these are some girls we met at the circus. This is Serena, that's Amy, that's Mina, this is Raye, and that really cute girl is Lita." Relena smiled and shook hands with each of them. "They're from out of town, so they need a place to sleep."

"I would gladly let them stay with me," Relena smiled.

"Would you? That would be so nice," Amy said, bowing gratefully.

"Hey, uh, how long are you guys planning on staying?" Duo asked, rubbing the back of his head nervously.

"Ten months," Mina answered.

"Ten months, huh? Then I'll be… I mean, _we'll_ be seeing you guys a lot." Duo blushed, grinning like an idiot.

"It was nice to meet you," Wufei bowed. "Perhaps our paths shall cross again. Until then, farewell." He walked a few paces, paused, then continued on.

"I guess I'd better get going, too," Duo sighed. He made a last attempt at getting Lita's attention. "I'll be sure to come and see you, Lita."

"Hmm? Oh, okay. Would you bright Trowa with you?" Duo's smile dropped.

"Oh. Yeah. Sure." He swore under his breath and also left their company.

"I hope you like it here," Quatre said. "It really is a nice place."

"You'll come and see me, won't you?" Mina asked, fluttering her eyes.

"Of course. I'll visit you all soon." He too left, his cheeks slightly more red than normal.

"Well, ladies, I think we need to get going," Relena said. "I'm going to have to get to know you better if you're staying with me." 


	4. Chemistry

__

Four: Chemistry

He had a speech planned out in his head on what he would say to her. He mouthed the words just to make sure he had them right. If he couldn't get her to forgive him then he would surely be lost. He took a deep breath and pressed his finger on the doorbell. Several female voices shouted from within. He didn't recognize them. _Some of Relena's friends?_ Two pairs of feet ran towards the door and it was flung open. He saw standing before him two of the five girls that had mysteriously appeared two days ago.

"Hi!" greeted the blonde cheerfully, showing off a bright smile. "My name is Mina! What's yours?"

"Uh…"

"Are you friends with Quatre?" she asked.

"Well…"

"Don't just stand there! Come on in!" Still confused, he dumbly took her invitation. Mina and her tall companion watched him curiously.

"I thought it was Trowa," sighed the brunette.

"Get over it, Lita. He doesn't even know you like him."

"Did you say…?"

"Who is it?" The other blonde came into the room. Her smile faded a little when she saw who was there. "Are you Heero Yuy?"

"Yes…" He could finally manage to answer one of their questions without being cut off.

"I thought so! You fit Relena's description perfectly!"

"Relena?" he echoed. He wanted to say more but the girls started babbling again.

"I guess we should introduce ourselves," Mina decided. "I'm Mina, this is Lita, and that's Serena. Relena was nice enough to let us stay with her. There are two others, Amy and Raye, that you might get to meet later." She observed the dumbfounded Heero with interest. "You don't look like a cold-blooded killer. But I guess it's like the old saying goes, 'don't judge a look by it's color'."

"No, Mina, it's, 'don't judge a _book_ by it's _cover_'," Lita corrected her.

"Is Relena…?"

"Say," Serena hummed, "do you know Trowa Barton by any chance? My friend Lita's got a crush on him."

"Well, I…"

"Are you hungry?" Mina inquired. "You have _got_ to try Lita's cooking. She's one of the best cooks I know! She's going to give Relena some cooking lessons."

"Is Relena…?"

"Do you know what kinds of food Trowa likes? I always like to make my crushes food," Lita said, blushing when she mentioned Trowa.

"Uh…"

"What's wrong with you? Don't you have anything to say?" Serena demanded. Just then Heero was saved by the appearance of Relena. The three girls stopped babbling when she entered the room. She quietly stared at Heero, her lips in a stern, straight line. Heero wasn't accustomed to smiling but he managed a small one.

"Will you three please excuse us?" Relena requested. Her new friends obeyed her.

"Relena, I'm sorry," Heero said. "I don't know why you're so mad at me, but I'm sorry."

"You don't know why I'm mad? Well, your friend Duo was kind enough to inform me that he did _not_ call you as you claimed. I'm mad because you broke your promise yet again and you made it worse by not showing up at the circus _like you promised_."

"The circus!" Heero groaned. 

"Oh, wait, don't tell me: you forgot."

"Well, I…"

"Or maybe you were out on _another_ sniper mission?" she snapped. "Is that what happened?" Heero fumbled for words but couldn't find any. Luckily he was saved yet again, this time by the doorbell. The door burst open and his four fellow Gundam pilots entered.

"Hey, Heero!" Duo greeted. He noticed Relena and quickly figured out what was going on. "I hope you're not mad at Heero for not coming to the circus, Relena. He was busy planning your romantic cruise."

"Duo!" Quatre hissed; he too took stock in the situation and made up a story to save Heero. "You weren't supposed to blurt it out like that!" Duo grinned sheepishly. Heero was completely lost. 

"Really, Heero?" Relena gasped.

"Uh… yeah, right. Of course."

"Heero, I'm so happy. Why didn't you tell me?"

"It was a surprise."

"Are we coming too, Heero?" Trowa asked.

"Not on your life."

"Well, actually, Heero, that wouldn't be a bad idea. Two of _my_ friends have crushes on two of _your_ friends. I would so love to play matchmaker," Relena smiled.

"Relena, no," Heero begged. "Those girls are more annoying than Duo."

"Are you saying I'm annoying?" Duo demanded. He was ignored by the others.

"Anyway, how are your new tenants doing?" Wufei wondered.

"Oh, thank you for reminding me. I need to introduce you," Relena realized. She vanished for a moment and returned with all five girls in tow. Wufei found himself gazing at Raye. Something strange was going on inside of him as he stared at her. "These are my new friends. Meet Serena, Amy, Raye, Lita, and Mina. I think you girls know everyone except for Heero and Trowa."

"Trowa?" Lita gushed. She made a beeline for the Gundam pilot. Duo was absolutely fuming. _What a ladies' man! First he scores Catherine, now Lita! It's not fair!_ "It's nice to finally see you face to face, Trowa. My name is Lita Kino."

"Hi," he managed, a little embarrassed at her forwardness. 

"It would be so nice to go on a romantic cruise," sighed Mina dreamily. "It would be like _The Love Boat_, only this is real life."

"Yes. Raye and I went on a cruise and it wasn't very fun," Amy agreed. "Isn't that right, Raye?"

"Yeah…" Her friends were so busy flirting or talking that they hardly noticed her leaving the room. Wufei saw this, however, and followed her. He couldn't explain why. In their absence their friends continued to talk. While Mina was having a one-sided conversation with Heero, Duo was busy trying to figure out how to impress Lita. Trowa didn't seem to be enjoying the attention Lita was giving him at all. He tried in vain to push the girl onto Quatre.

"Hey! Lita, watch this!" Duo shouted. He ran outside but tripped and fell flat on his face. Trowa and Heero quietly chuckled.

"Watch what? Watch you make an ass out of yourself? I think we see that often enough," Trowa smirked. Duo hopped to his feet. Other than his pride and his nose, nothing was injured.

"Why, you! I'm gonna _kill you_!" 

"We'd better go inside," Quatre suggested and the others agreed. They quietly went inside to avoid the confrontation. Heero personally wanted to see it but a quick glare from Relena convinced him otherwise.

======

Wufei found Raye in the library. She ran her fingers over the books, deep in thought. Wufei watched her for a moment without making his presence known. He could easily sneak up behind her without her hearing him, but that would be a rude thing to do to someone he didn't even know. He quietly entered the library. She turned, which surprised him because most people wouldn't have heard him approaching.

"Hi. You're Wufei, right?"

"Yes."

"Oh. I guess you were eager to get away from that nonsense as much as I was."

"No offense to you, but your friends are all ridiculous love-crazy nitwits." It had been a while since he spoke his thoughts so freely. Raye looked hurt by his harsh words. 

"I agree that my friends are love-crazy, but I don't think you should call them nitwits."

"Sorry." They were silent for a moment. "I take it you're not like them?"

"Not love-crazy you mean? No, not really. Unlike them, I don't fall in love with every guy I see."

"My friends don't usually act so weird," Wufei noted. 

"Anyone can act weird when they're in love."

"I wouldn't know," Wufei muttered to himself. He hadn't meant to say it out loud.

"You mean you've never been in love?"

"No…" He was growing uncomfortable. He began to slowly edge towards the doorway. "I'll be going now." Raye nodded quietly. He finally made it out of the library. He breathed a sigh of relief. He regretted leaving Raye so suddenly but the conversation had turned too personal for his taste. He wouldn't even talk about _that_ with his friends, let alone a girl he hardly knew.

======

By the time Trowa, Duo, and Wufei rejoined them, Relena and Heero had everything planned out about the cruise. Or to be more specific, _Relena_ had everything planned out. Heero knew better than to protest against her decisions. Duo was still mad but he quickly cheered up when he saw Lita. Unfortunately his joy was not to last, for it was Trowa that Lita most wanted to see. She did offer Duo a few words questioning his well-being but the bulk of her attention was directed at Trowa. 

"What in the world happened to _you_?" Wufei inquired, eyeing Duo's bleeding nose.

"Long story."

"Wufei, glad you're here," Relena smiled. "You're invited on the cruise as well."

"What cruise?"

"Quit playing dumb, Wufei," Quatre said, poking him meaningfully. "_You_ know. The cruise Heero's treating us all to."

"Right. Of course." _Cruise? Great. Just what I don't want._ "Remind me when we're going on this exciting adventure," he requested, his voice thick with sarcasm.

"When will it be, Heero?" Relena prompted. 

"Well, uh…" Heero looked to his friends for help. They shrugged helplessly. "You see, I, uh… currently do not have the money for this… Especially if more people are going…" _Here's my chance!_ Wufei thought.

"You two should really go by yourselves. It would be more romantic that way."

"Aw, but I really wanted to go on a cruise!" Mina whined.

"Why don't you just use one of my boats?" Quatre suggested. Both Heero and Wufei shook their heads, trying to convey without words their reluctance.

"It's a great idea. You two go on a romantic cruise by yourselves and the rest of us will have a pool party or something at Quatre's house," Trowa said.

"Pool party?" Lita squealed.

"I love pool parties! That'll almost be as good as a cruise!" Mina grinned. "Let's have it in a week, okay? The girls and I have to buy new swimsuits, and I'm _sure_ Relena's closet needs a makeover."

"What's with girls and shopping?" Wufei muttered.

"Hahaha! Lita will surely fall for me when I show her what a champion swimmer I am!" Duo chuckled. His friends stared at him strangely but luckily none of the girls heard his declaration.

"I'm so excited!" Relena cried. "I think I'll go phone Miss Noin and tell her all about it." She went off in a happy daze. Her new friends followed, sensing their presence was unwanted. Heero turned to his four friends, glaring at them all sternly.

"You owe me big for this."

"What? I was doin' you a favor, man," Duo cringed.

"Yeah. A favor."

"That's a funny way of saying 'Thanks'," Duo huffed.

"Uh, Duo? It's Heero. That _is_ how he says 'Thanks'," Trowa reminded him. Duo growled and crossed his arms.

"I'm not talking to you!"

"Why, because you klutzed out and fell flat on your face and I took advantage of your misfortune?"

"Quatre, tell Trowa that he doesn't _deserve_ to know why I'm not talking to him!"

"Trowa, Duo says…"

"I heard him! Sheesh! What a baby." Heero rolled his eyes but was smart enough to keep his mouth shut. _The key to hanging out with these guys is to be quiet and let them make complete fools of themselves._

======

_What is this? I feel strange… I've never felt like this before…_

_This is impossible… This can't be right…_

_I feel… so…… light…_

_I can't believe this…_

_I think I……_

_But is it real…?_

_Or am I just imagining things…?_

_I wish… I knew for sure…_


	5. Duo Tries Harder

__

Five: Duo Tries Harder

Five schoolgirls from Japan and one diplomat found themselves agreeing on clothes. They spent almost a whole day shopping and another day displaying all the different outfits they had bought. Relena was glad for such enthusiastic houseguests. Each of the five girls had a loveable yet different personality. As she got to be closer friends with them Relena began to realize there was something _different_ about them. It was almost as if they didn't belong in her world…

"Are we really going to have a pool party, Relena?" Serena asked.

"I can't say. Heero always promises me things but he never comes through for me. Sometimes I wonder why I continuously bother with him."

"He doesn't seem _too_ bad," Mina noted.

"Yes, he doesn't _seem_ bad," Relena agreed.

"What about the others? I mean, they don't seem like they could be friends. What got them to meet?" Lita asked.

"It all started two years ago. You know all about the war between the Earth and the colonies, of course."

"Not… really," Amy confessed. Relena stared at them in surprise.

"You're kidding! How could you _not_ know about that?" The girls shrugged helplessly. _This is impossible. Have they been hiding in a hole or something?_ "Well… this is so strange. It was on the news."

"Uh… let's just say we're not from around here," Raye said, smiling nervously.

"Okay. It might take a while to explain everything. Let's just say they met each other during the war and became… uh… well, I guess the phrase would be close acquaintances. They've been hanging out together ever since."

"It's kind of like the five of us," Serena chirped. "We're all very different but together we're a pretty good team." Relena nodded. She had asked Heero to call her and she was fighting between worry and excitement. Maybe, just maybe he would call her. Or he would forget like he always did. _Does he really forget or does he just say he forgets?_

"Relena?" Raye gently shook her friend. "Are you all right?"

"I was just thinking. I'm fine." _Heero…_

Ring! Ring!

"Oh, my god!" Relena jumped to her feet and almost tore the phone apart in her excitement. "Heero!" she gasped into the receiver.

"Hi." She smiled at his voice.

"You won't believe this! I was just thinking about you."

"Thanks."

"You actually called. Thank you."

"Is Duo there?"

"Duo?"

"Yes, Duo."

"I… don't think so." _He called to ask for Duo? I can't believe this._

"Dammit." She heard him speaking to someone else. She tried to pick up the conversation but all she could make out was Heero's voice, constantly telling whoever was with him to "shut up".

"What's going on, Heero?"

"Hold on… Quatre's damn phone is ringing." Relena groaned and rolled her eyes. She made a mental note to break Heero of his swearing habit. "Say _what_?… Shit, you're kidding!"

"Heero, _what is going on_?!" Relena demanded, nearly shouting into the phone. Her five friends stared at her. 

"Hold on, I can't hear two people at once." There was another pause. Relena heard Quatre speaking. "Quatre wants to talk to you," Heero said. There was a brief pause.

"He called me on my phone."

"Who did?" Relena asked, trying to keep her voice steady.

"Duo."

"And?"

"He's on the roof of your house." There was muffled laughter in the background. "Be quiet, Trowa. It's not funny." Relena glanced up at the ceiling.

"Right now?"

"That's what he said." She distinctly heard Wufei speaking, and more laughter from Trowa. "He can't get down."

"What's he doing up there anyway?"

"Uh, hold on and I'll ask him….." Her friends were giving her strange looks. They obviously wanted to know what was going on but didn't want to intrude. "You won't believe this. Duo's completely flipped his lid." Trowa said something, and laughed a little more.

"I believe it," Relena assured him.

"That's what Trowa just said. Duo says he wanted to impress Lita."

"And how exactly does he plan to do that when he's stuck on my roof?"

"There's someone on the roof?" Serena asked. Relena motioned her to silence, promising to explain the situation later. 

"We're going to come over. Try and coax him down, okay?"

"I'll see what I can do." There was another pause and Relena heard the phone shifting hands. 

"Relena…. Did you think I wasn't going to call you?" Heero asked.

"I always hope, but I must admit I was doubting."

"I called."

"Yes, I know."

"Sorry I don't call you sometimes." She smiled. She had to swallow a lump that was forming in her throat. "I'll see you in a while. I love you." She was touched by the declaration. She could imagine how hard it was for him to say that in front of his friends.

"I love you too, Heero." She hung up the phone, still smiling. The smile quickly faded as she remembered the crisis at hand. "Don't freak out, but Duo's stuck on the roof."

"Duo?" Lita repeated.

"Yes." _He's gone insane. That's all I can think of._ "I'm going to try and get him down."

"No, that might not be safe. Let me do it," Lita requested.

"What do you mean, it might not be safe?" Amy wondered.

"It's no good to shout at him from the ground. I'm going up on the roof with him."

"And how do _you_ expect to get down?" Serena asked.

"A ladder, of course."

"I don't like this, but it seems like the best idea," Relena sighed. _Duo, I wonder what's gotten into you?_

======

Duo was sitting on the roof questioning his sanity. He didn't understand why climbing up on Relena's roof had been such a good idea at four o'clock in the morning. Now that he was thinking about it, it probably wasn't a good idea to push the ladder to the ground. At least he had sense enough to bring his phone. He called Quatre and was now waiting for someone to get him down.

"Duo?" He recognized the voice as Relena's. He crawled over to the edge and waved down at her. His smile widened when he noticed that Lita was with her. "Duo, there's a ladder down here."

"I know. I was using it."

"We'll put it back up for you." In a few seconds the ladder appeared close to his hands. To his surprise Lita started climbing up. He backed away to give her room. She reached the top of the roof and sat down beside him.

"Hey, Duo."

"H-hi," he squeaked. He felt his cheeks burning.

"Would you like to tell me what you're doing up here?"

"I honestly don't know."

"Don't do anything like this again. You really had us worried." 

"You too?" he asked hopefully.

"Me too."

"Cool." _All right! I've got a chance! Maybe getting stuck on the roof was a good idea!_ "Hey, Lita?"

"Yeah?"

"Well… uh… I know you kind of have a thing for Trowa, but I was just kind of wondering if maybe you'd… uh… like to go on a… date with me?" He smiled and gazed at her. _Man, I can't believe I actually said that._

"I don't know, Duo. This is a little sudden. I don't know you that well."

"You don't know Trowa that well, either," he pointed out. She blushed.

"That's true."

"Look, I'll make you a deal. You go on a date with me and I'll… I'll, uh… Well, I don't know what I'll do just yet, but I'll do _something_ for you in return." She smiled and shook his hand.

"You've got a deal. Let's go." She started climbing back down to the ground. Duo sat there for a while grinning like an idiot. _Yes! I'm going on a date with Lita! I'm the man!_ He snapped out of his daze and got back down on the ground. He couldn't wait to taunt Trowa with his good fortune.


	6. Love Comes Along

__

Six: Love Comes Along

Something very strange was happening inside him. He had thought nothing of the girl at first and her flirting was something he chose to ignore. It wasn't like he hadn't gotten this sort of treatment in the past. He was mostly amused watching Duo try to impress her. But now… now that he had actually _gotten_ her to like him, Trowa felt jealous. He couldn't explain it but after Duo told him, he had the strong urge to punch the guy in the face.

"You look like hell, pardon the expression," Quatre noted, taking a seat beside his friend. Trowa had escaped to a park to think over his feelings. He had an ulterior motive for going to this particular park: he had learned from Mina-- after a rough interrogation that had the poor girl in tears-- that this was where Duo and Lita would have their date. Trowa greeted Quatre with a nod.

"I feel like hell."

"Well, what's the matter?"

"Lita."

"You too?" Quatre stared at him in surprise. He scratched his head. "What's with this girl, anyway?" Trowa threw up his hands.

"I have no idea! I didn't think I liked her!"

"Maybe you still don't."

"_What_ are you talking about?"

"Well…" Quatre paused to think. "I think you just liked the attention. I don't think it has anything to do with you liking her."

"You think so?"

"I don't know how you feel, so I can't be for sure, but that's the way it seems."

"I'm not so sure, Quatre," Trowa mused. "I mean, it seems like the more I think about her the more this feeling grows. I can't figure out what's going on with me. I've never felt like this before about anybody."

"The feeling grows," Quatre repeated, almost to himself. Suddenly his phone rang. "Hello?" His jaw dropped and his eyes bugged out. "You're kidding."

"What? Who is it?"

"Duo."

"_What_?!" Before Quatre could move Trowa snatched the phone away from him. "Where are you?" he demanded, nearly screaming into the receiver. Quatre tried in vain to quiet him but gave up when he saw his efforts wouldn't do much good. Duo laughed on the other end and Trowa would've smashed the phone on the ground if not for a warning glance from Quatre.

"You followed me!" Duo taunted.

"What the fucking hell are you talking about?"

"Language," Quatre warned.

"I can see you!" Duo declared. Trowa heard Lita speaking and his heart did a funny little dance. "Lita sees you too." Trowa glanced around and nearly fell over as he noticed Duo and Lita walking towards the fountain on the other side of the park.

"Is that… Hey, that looks like Duo," Quatre noted.

"It _is_ Duo."

"Oh, my god."

"Hey! I'm still talking to you!" Duo shouted. He was too far away to make out an expression but from his tone he sounded offended. Lita spoke again, and Duo shifted restlessly. "I gotta go. She says to stop taunting you."

"I agree with her," said Trowa darkly.

"Well, just have this one last thought: I got her first!" Duo announced. He laughed triumphantly and hung up. Trowa threw the phone in Duo's direction. Quatre ran after it and caught it before it hit the ground. He returned, looking less than pleased with Trowa's actions.

"That was perhaps the most immature thing you've done in the time I've known you."

"Well… he started it!" Trowa sputtered. Quatre's eyebrow twitched. _I wonder where I've heard that before?_

"Trowa, why don't you let Duo have a nice girl? Out of all of us he's the one that can deal with one the best."

"No way! I'm going to get Lita and that's that!" Quatre sighed, holding his head in his hands wearily. _Please don't let me act like this if I ever have a girlfriend._

======

Meanwhile, Wufei was ascending the steps of a temple to meditate. He knew all about what was going on between Duo and Trowa and thought it was the most ridiculous rivalry he'd ever heard of. Why two guys would be fighting over one girl he would never understand. _They're still little boys. I thought that the war would make them grow up but I guess falling in love reversed the process. I hope I never act like that._ He reached the top of the steps and entered the temple.

Usually the temple was almost completely vacant except for the caretaker, which was why he chose to come at this particular time. Today there was another there, and ironically it was Raye Hino. He rolled his eyes. Before he could leave without being noticed she glanced around and smiled at him. Now he couldn't leave without offending her, and as he had already done so once before, he chose to stay put.

"Hello," she greeted.

"Hi," he returned. "I wasn't expecting anyone else to be here."

"Well, my grandfather and I work at a temple back at home, so I had to stop by here and pay my respects." Wufei sank down next to her. _Maybe if I close my eyes she'll just walk away._ He tried his theory out. "You're not like your friends."

"I know I'm not."

"I don't mean to offend you. I was just noticing that you're very quiet. Your friends seem to be more outspoken."

"They are." _Keep the responses simple. Maybe she'll get bored and go away._

"Even Heero says more than you do."

"I don't take notice."

"Are you unsociable or do you just not have much to say?"

"Both, sometimes."

"I see." He risked opening his eye to see what she was doing. She was staring straight ahead with an expression of deep thought on her face. Wufei had had more than enough of the conversation but strangely he couldn't bring himself to leave. He wasn't worried about being offensive; there was just _something_ stopping him.

"You're different too," he said. She turned her head and nodded in agreement.

"Yes, I am. I think it's our differences that have kept us such close friends. I'm sure it's the same with you and _your_ friends."

"Quite the contrary. It's our differences that sometimes make us want to beat the crap out of each other." _Dear god, I'm starting to sound like Duo!_ Raye chuckled softly. "But… I guess you're right. Most of the time we get along pretty well." He was drawn to stare into her eyes. They seemed to shine with a light all their own, and if he looked close enough he could see his reflection.

"Wufei, may I ask you something?" Her lips curled into a smile. His face felt hot and his insides were doing strange things. _What's going on here?_

"Okay."

"I feel strange asking you this, but do you think my friend Lita should be with Trowa or Duo?" Whatever he had expected her to say, that certainly was not it. His heart sank, although he couldn't explain why.

"Duo's a moron."

"We figured that out when he got stuck on Relena's roof. But he seems like a nice guy. Then again, so does Trowa. Who do you think she would be better with?"

"I couldn't say. I don't know your friend very well."

"But you know _them_ well."

"That doesn't mean anything. People can change."

"Yes, they can." Her expression while stating this was almost sad. Wufei never stared at a person for too long but he found himself unable to take his eyes away from the girl. It was as if he wanted to imprint her image into his memory forever. His brain screamed at him to get his sense back and to stop acting like… well, like he _cared_ about her. His brain soon gave up hope, however, and left him to his own devises.

"You seem sad about something."

"It's not something I want to talk about. No offense, but I hardly know you."

"I see…" They sat in silence for a moment. For once in his life Wufei was uncomfortable with silence and wanted to be rid of it. "But you know, none of us truly know each other. Even if you know someone for years you still don't _know_ them."

"Yeah. And when you learn something new about them, it can sometimes be hurtful."

"People can surprise you. Those you thought as cold-hearted could actually be loving, and vice versa." Raye shook her head in protest but in an act of complete stupidity Wufei brought her face close to his and gently kissed her lips. Two thoughts entered his head simultaneously: _Oh, my god! What am I doing?_ and _Wow! This feels great!_ He pulled away and stood up, slightly embarrassed at what he had done. Raye stood up as well and for a moment they stared at each other.

Quietly they walked towards the temple entrance. They both seemed to be in a daze. It might have perhaps been wishful thinking on Wufei's part, but he thought he detected a shade of red in Raye's cheeks. They stopped at the top step and Wufei offered her a smile. She gave him a mean look and slapped him across the cheek. He stumbled a little and shook his head. _This girl is unpredictable._ He rubbed the spot where she had hit him.

"I'll, uh, come back tomorrow in case you want a crack at the other cheek." He walked away, but not before noticing the glare she gave him.

======

Lita felt horrible. She had only gone on this date with Duo so he would stop being such a moron. They had fun but inside she didn't feel any special way towards him. He was like a brother figure to her, kind of like her best friend Ken. She wanted to tell him what was really going on but she didn't want to hurt his feelings. He was on top of the world and she feared that the truth may knock him down and break him.

"Duo?"

"Yeah?" he chirped, grinning from ear to ear. He was still in high spirits from taunting Trowa. Lita had thought that unnecessary and had scolded him for it but he still thought of it as a personal triumph.

"There's something I need to talk to you about."

"Hey, if it's about what I said to Trowa, I'm sorry."

"It's not that. I just need to talk to you about something." She paused, forming the words in her mind. "I like you, Duo. You're a great guy. A bit on the strange side, but a caring soul and I can tell you and I will be good friends." He was literally bouncing on the balls of his feet and he looked like a kid at a birthday party. "But… I don't really think I can care about you the way you want me to." At once his smile plummeted.

"Huh?"

"What I mean is, I just want to be your friend."

"Oh. That's it?" His expressions were so childish she almost forgot she was speaking to a teenager.

"I'm sorry."

"No. That's okay. I understand." He forced a grin on his face. "I mean, you gotta go where your heart's leading you, right?" She smiled as well.

"Right. Thanks for understanding." She kissed him on the cheek and left. He gently touched his cheek with his hand and grinned idiotically.

"Wow… Man, whoever she ends up with is one lucky guy!"

======

Raye touched her lips with her fingers. Her face felt on fire. She tried to figure out why Wufei had kissed her but she couldn't think of any reason. It was so sudden, so unpredictable, so not what she would have expected from him. She slowly descended the steps of the temple and rested her back against a tree. She felt like she was in a dream. She was not one for imagining things like that but at the moment she was questioning whether it really happened or not. And if it _had_ happened, why? She sighed and quietly sang to herself:

"I'll know when my love comes along,   
I won't take a chance.   
For oh, he'll be just what I need.   
Not some fly-by-night Broadway romance.

And till then,   
I shall wait.   
And till then,   
I'll be strong,   
For I'll know when my love comes along."

Author's note: For those of you who are familiar with my stories, you know I'm rather fond of sticking in songs that fit the storyline. Therefore, you can expect to see more songs from _Guys and Dolls_ as the story progresses. I just want to remind you that I do not own that musical and I'm only using the lines in the show and the songs in this story. Sorry for not updating sooner but… well, school and writer's block. Hope this chapter makes up for it! 


	7. Little White Lie

__

Seven: Little White Lie

Serena, Amy, and Raye were walking to the mall. To be more precise, Serena and Amy were walking while Raye was stomping. She paused and turned around. Serena and Amy continued on, oblivious that their friend had stopped. Raye was glaring at a certain young Chinese that was following them. He also paused and pretended to be looking elsewhere. Raye continued walking and he continued following. There was another pause a few seconds later, and another, and another. Each time Raye would glance over her shoulder; Wufei would raise his eyes to the air or the ground in attempt to look innocent. Quatre appeared and watched the scene unfold with interest. He shook his head, smiling. The quartet disappeared around a corner. Duo showed up and eyed Quatre curiously.

"Hey, Quatre. What ya lookin' at?"

"Wufei was just following Miss Raye and you should've seen her: she give him a look that could've cooled off a moose at mating time." The two laughed at this observation.

"I wonder what he did?"

"I don't know, but I'd hate to be him right now."

"Yeah, ditto." Quatre noticed that there was something wrong with his friend.

"Is there something wrong, Duo?"

"Nah, not really. Just something I've known all along."

"Oh. Lita and Trowa, right?"

"Bingo." Quatre cringed sympathetically. "I don't know why I'm so upset. I mean, I don't know her all that well. I guess I just didn't want Trowa to beat me at finding a girl."

"There are plenty of other girls out there. You just have to keep looking."

"Hey, if you're suggesting I date Hilde again, you can just forget it!" Quatre laughed and patted his friend on the shoulder.

"I know. I know. Well, you shouldn't really give up on Lita. Trowa just doesn't seem like her type of guy, you know what I mean? You may still have a chance." Duo brightened up at this.

"Hey! I haven't thought of that! Yeah! You're right, Quatre! Thanks!" Duo grinned and ran off, leaving poor Quatre by himself in his confusion.

======

Heero didn't really like going behind Relena's back, but he didn't have much of a choice. There was only one thing he was truly good at and… well, he had to make money _somehow_. He wasn't the only one that did this line of work so at the very least he wasn't alone. With him tonight were several of the best mercenaries in this part of the world: Argie the Odd, Slippery Matt, Rusky Chucky, Hans the Hamler, and so on. Of course these weren't their _real_ names, but no one in this line of business ever used their real names. They were meeting to discuss their next mission, when a policeman burst onto the scene.

"Well, well, well. An interesting gathering indeed!" he scoffed. This particular cop had given Heero some trouble in the past; he cautiously watched every move. The cop, named Lieutenant Brodigan, twirled his club around and pointed the end at each felon as he named them. "Argie the Odd! Slippery Matt! Rusky Chucky!" He took huge strides and held out his hand to the next felon. "Hans the Hamler! All the way from Tokyo! How's it goin', man? How's it goin'?" He turned to another, who was being unusually quiet.

Heero felt chills running up his spine. This was none other than Bud Jugge, one of the best, if not _the_ best mercenary he knew. Bud stood there looking important and a bit on the scraggly side. A cigar was stuck in his mouth. Occasionally he would take it out and tap off the ash.

"And… pardon me," Lt. Brodigan continued, "I'm very bad on names, but your face looks familiar. Mind telling me where you're from?" Bud Jugge stared at the lieutenant calmly. He took out his cigar and tapped off the ash.

"East Sissaro, Japan." He readied the cigar to put it back in his mouth.

"And what is it that you do there?" 

"I'm a scout's master," he replied coldly.

"Well, don't ever help _my_ mother across the street." The lieutenant smiled at his own bad attempt at a joke. "You guys look like a male chorus from blossom time. What's the occasion?"

"Uh… it's a party!" Argie the Odd chirped. Lt. Brodigan stared at him doubtfully.

"Indeed? What kind of party?" As luck would have it, Relena showed up that very instant.

"Uh… it's a bachelor dinner! Heero's getting married!" Argie replied, grabbing Relena by the arm. The poor girl nearly jumped out of her skin.

"_WHAT_?!" she shrieked. Heero-- poor, poor Heero-- looked about as lost and confused as he could possibly be.

"That's correct, lieutenant, a bachelor dinner," Hans the Hamler confirmed. "Heero's getting married!" The small group sang "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow" while Heero stood there, helpless. Relena was absolutely beaming in delight.

"Oh, Heero! I'm so happy! Why didn't you tell me?"

"It was a surprise," he muttered, ushering her away from the group.

"Oh. But when I saw you here with all of these…," she gave the mercenaries a brief glance, "… fine gentlemen, I never dreamed it was a bachelor dinner. I thought it was…"

"Oh, it was a bachelor dinner!" Heero assured her, cutting her off just in time.

"Yes, sir, a bachelor dinner," Argie the Odd agreed.

"Gee, just think," sighed Relena with a dreamy look on her face. "After four years I'm finally going to become Mrs. Heero Yuy… Time certainly does fly!"

"So when's the happy day, Heero?" Lt. Brodigan asked.

"When will it be, Heero?" Relena echoed.

"Uh…" Heero bit his lower lip. He was really in a jam now.

"Heero, these guys were good enough to throw you a bachelor dinner," Lt. Brodigan said, indicating the mercenaries. "The least you can do is tell them when the date is."

"We need time for our license… and our blood test," Heero grumbled.

"Gee, wouldn't it be great if we could get married tomorrow night?" Relena suggested.

"But Relena! We need time for our blood test!" Heero whined.

"You could elope," Lt. Brodigan suggested. Heero's face fell.

"What?"

"You could drive down to that one town. They'll marry you up right away. They don't ask for a blood test."

"Ain't that unhealthy?" Heero groaned, trying to find any excuse to get out of this very bad situation.

"Heero, it's a great idea. Elope! I'll lend you my get-away…," Hans began. He paused and glanced over at the lieutenant. He coughed to fill up the pause. "My Buick."

"Oh, Heero, let's do it!" Relena insisted.

"What the hell!" Heero sighed, throwing up his hands in defeat. The mercenaries came up and congratulated him. Lt. Brodigan came up and shook his hand.

"My congratulations too, Heero. I just hope there's nothing in heredity." He tipped his hat to Relena and left.

"Heero, I've got so much to do before we elope," Relena sighed. "You'll be at our restaurant, won't you?"

"Sure. I'll have a table reserved and I'll be all dressed up in… whatever you elope in." _Hell, I'm already deep enough. I might as well go with it,_ he thought with a helpless shrug.

"Okay, then. Good-bye!" She kissed him and cheerfully left their company. The guys rolled their eyes at each other. Heero stood there, his eye twitching in annoyance. _Why me?_ his brain kept asking. _Why me? Why me?_

======

Lita and Mina sat together having tea and waiting for the others to get back to shopping. Lita had just finished explaining all that had happened on her "date" with Duo and was quietly waiting for Mina to react. Mina swirled her cup of tea around and watched the liquid move. She frowned thoughtfully.

"So Duo wasn't upset?"

"It didn't seem like it to me."

"Well, if I were him I'd be pretty upset. No offense, Lita, but it was fairly cold of you to push him away like that." Lita sighed and nodded her head in agreement.

"I know. I just needed to be honest with him."

" 'Honesty is the best property', as they say," Mina shrugged.

"I think you mean 'honesty is the best _policy_'."

"Whatever."

"Do you think I should have done that?"

"I'm as bad with guys as you are, Lita! Don't ask me for advice!" The two girls laughed. Lita took a sip of tea.

"I hope I did the right thing. I would hate it if I made the wrong decision."

"Yeah. That would suck."

"I just hope Duo won't hate me for not choosing him." Lita's brow furrowed in concern.

"Duo seems too happy-go-lucky to hold a grudge, even for something like that," Mina shrugged.

"Yeah…" 

Author's note: Okay, that scene with Heero and the mercenaries was just too good to resist. Yes, that _did_ come directly from _Guys and Dolls_. I hope everyone that has seen that show enjoyed that little part.


	8. Escapade

__

Eight: Escapade

"Well? What do you want?" Raye stood with her arms crossed, staring at Wufei expectantly. She had finally given up on ignoring him and now asked him the question that had been egging her since the moment she discovered he was following her around. Wufei merely stared back at her.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Please! You've been following me around ever since…" Raye paused and blushed slightly. She quickly regained her posture. "So what do you want?" Wufei swallowed and chose to remain silent for the moment. There was no way he could answer that honestly. Raye sighed, shaking her head in defeat. "I just don't get you. You were so quiet, and then…"

"A drink with you," Wufei said suddenly.

"What?"

"You asked what I wanted."

"And?"

"I want to have a drink with you." 

"Why would you want to have a drink with _me_?" Raye asked. Wufei shrugged his shoulders.

"I'm thirsty."

"This doesn't have anything to do with…"

"I apologize for that," Wufei stated, humbly bowing before her. "I don't usually act that way. I want to have a drink with you, to perhaps make up for that." He stared at her with his eyebrows raised expectantly. Raye let out a sigh.

"I don't know why, but I'll go with you."

"Thank you. Please follow me." Raye complied with his request. She wasn't sure where he was taking her, and as they walked she asked herself if she really wanted to know.

The place he brought her to was not something she expected. Her mind had gone from a crowded bar full of drunkards to a garbage dump, and it was with more surprise than anything that she entered the quiet building. It had perhaps been a crowded bar full of drunkards several years ago but now only a few were occupying the tables, and none of them looked too badly drunk. Old oil lamps scattered around the tables lighted the bar. Raye felt like she was in a different time period.

"Good evenan', Wufay," the bartender greeted, tipping his bowler hat. He held a mug in one hand and a cloth in the other. Raye stared at him and for the life of her could swear she was in the Old West. He wore a brown bowler hat, a white shirt with a brown vest over it, and tattered blue pants. His accent sounded heavily from the American south.

"Hello, Boxie," Wufei greeted. He pulled a chair back for Raye and sat down. Raye sank into her seat.

"What is your name?" asked Raye nervously. The bartender chuckled and polished the inside of the mug bashfully.

"Well, shucks, missy, most people cahl me Boxie. Mah full name's Bohahrison. It sho' is hard fo' most people tah say, so they cahl me Boxie.

"It's nice to meet you, Boxie. I'm Raye."

"That sho' is a purty name," Boxie grinned. "Whut's yer pleasure?"

"I'll have the usual, Boxie," Wufei requested.

"Do you have anything non-alcoholic?" Raye wondered. Boxie pursed his lips and checked his inventory. One of the drunks got up and tottered over to an old piano. Raye was caught off-guard when the man started playing, and fairly well too. Even the music sounded Western.

"Ah ain't got nuthin' 'cept a bit o' water," noted Boxie apologetically.

"That'll be all right." Boxie beamed at her and in a flash brought the two their drinks. Wufei muttered his thanks and sipped his drink. Raye expressed her gratitude as well, but frowned when she noticed the color of her drink.

"Something wrong?" Wufei asked.

"This water is a little… dark."

"Ah'm afraid that's the best Ah can do," Boxie shrugged.

"Just drink it," Wufei told her. "You'll offend him if you don't." Raye sighed, closing her eyes tight. _Curse my polite ways!_ She put the drink back in one go. She swallowed but it wasn't as bad as she thought.

"For some reason, that made me thirstier."

"Ah jest got a little bit," Boxie repeated.

"Okay, I'll take it."

Five drinks later…

"Are you sure this isn't alcohol?" Raye slurred, tottering in her seat. Besides drinking four of her own, she had also finished off Wufei's drink. By now they were the only ones other than Boxie left in the bar. 

"Mebbe jest a little," Boxie muttered.

"Okay, that does it. Let's get out of here," Wufei decided. He took Raye by the arm and tried hoisting her up.

"I don't wanna go!" she whined.

"I have to think of what's best for you," he insisted, and without warning grabbed her up and carried her out the bar in his arms. He set her down outside and dusted her off. She giggled and started stumbling around.

"That was fun. Thanks for the drink. You're not such a bad guy."

"I told you not to drink more than two, but you just had to get greedy," Wufei sighed, holding his head in his hands. Raye flopped down on the sidewalk with a sigh. Wufei sat down next to her.

"Hey, will you tell me something?"

"Sure, I guess."

"Why did you kiss me?"

"I don't know," Wufei admitted. "I wasn't really thinking straight." Raye stared at him with her head tilted to one side. He gazed into her eyes and he knew that he had kissed her for a reason, and not just on a whim. In fact, he had a strong urge to do it again. Before he could move Raye suddenly turned her head and vomited. Wufei sighed and gently pushed her hair away from her face.

"I'm pathetic, aren't I?" she asked.

"No. I don't think you are."

"I feel a little more sober now. I didn't do anything stupid yet, did I?"

"You're fine. Don't worry about it." He put his arm around her and drew her close to him. She parted her hair and smiled at him.

"Hey… you know what?"

"What?" 

"Your eyes have a little green in them." Wufei smiled. She was beautiful, with her hair in a mess and her breath smelling like vomit. His lips ached to touch hers again but he didn't think it right to take advantage of her. Instead he settled for her forehead. The moment was rudely interrupted by the arrival of Trowa Barton.

"Wufei! What the hell are you doing here?" Wufei blushed and tried desperately to think of an alibi.

"Uh… Well… I'm just… sitting here."

"Oh." Apparently Trowa really wasn't interested in what was going on. "Have you seen Lita recently?"

"She's probably at one of the floral shops," Raye answered. 

"Floral shops? Okay, thanks." He was gone in a matter of seconds. Raye sank down and went to sleep with Wufei's legs serving as her pillow. Wufei watched her sleep, combing his fingers through her hair. _How things have changed since I saw you. How things have changed…_

======

Trowa didn't find Lita at the floral shop, but he _did_ find two dozen red roses. He bought them and searched the other stores for her. It was a beautiful night with the stars shining and the moon watching over all. Trowa was in such high spirits that he felt nothing could dampen them. Of course, he was wrong. He turned a corner and there was Duo!

"Great," he growled. "Just what I wanted."

"Trowa?" Duo's face broke into a wide grin. Trowa wanted to wipe that grin off so badly his knuckles tingled. "Those aren't for _Lita_, are they?"

"It's none of your damn business."

"I knew it!" Duo grinned. "You like her too!"

"Why don't you go bother something that has the same brainpower as you, like a fence post?" Duo rocked on his heels like a little child. The flowers rattled in Trowa's hands.

"Lita's a nice girl. I like her a lot." He flashed an unreadable grin.

"You didn't… kiss her, did you?" asked Trowa suspiciously. Duo's smile merely widened.

"Wouldn't _you_ like to know?" he sang.

"You little son-of-a-bitch! I'll kill you!" Duo was smart enough to make a run for it with Trowa following close behind. The chase lasted about a minute before Duo tripped and fell. Trowa halted in front of him and stood there laughing at his unfortunate "friend".

"Trowa! Duo! You two aren't giving each other trouble, are you?" Trowa froze. _It's her!_ his brain cheered. He turned and greeted Lita with a sheepish smile. She was wearing a long sleeved shirt and a green vest, and a green skirt. _Damn, she's beautiful._ She crossed her arms over her chest and shook her head. "You guys need to learn how to play nice."

"I was just kidding with him," Trowa muttered. Duo was still on the ground, spread-eagle fashion. He rolled over and stared up at Lita with spinning eyes.

"Kidding, my ass," he groaned. Trowa gave him a "gentle" kick in the shoulder.

"Duo and I do this to each other all the time."

"I see," Lita nodded. Trowa tried desperately to keep the flowers from shaking but the noise soon drew Lita's attention. "Oh! Those are lovely!"

"They're for you!" Trowa blurted, offering her the roses. She took them and breathed in her scent.

"Roses are my favorite! Thank you."

"No problem." Trowa stared at the ground for a moment, then back at Lita. "Lita, would you, uh, like to go for a walk with me?" He offered his elbow to her.

"Okay." She slipped her arm through his. "Will Duo be all right by himself?"

"I'll live," Duo answered.

"All right then. I'll see you later." Lita cheerfully waved.

"See you, Dummo," Trowa said. He chuckled and escorted Lita away.

"Why did you call him 'Dummo'?"

"Oh, it's just a name I call him sometimes," Trowa shrugged.

"You two remind me of my friends Serena and Raye. They're always fighting with each other, and Raye calls Serena 'meatball head' all the time." _Meatball head! That's perfect for that little ditz._ "I have to confess something to you, Trowa."

"It's nothing too bad, is it?"

"Nothing like that. I just…" Lita paused; Trowa saw her cheeks were red. "From the moment I saw you, I liked you."

"Wow. I'm… flattered, Lita," Trowa managed, blinking in confusion. _I knew she liked me, but from the moment she saw me?_ "I didn't think much of you at first, but I have to say that I feel the same now."

"Really?" Lita gasped.

"Yeah. Really." They stared at each other smiling. There was one thought dominating Trowa's mind. He tried to ignore it at first but it kept persisting. _What the hell? I might as well._ He brought his face close to hers and kissed her.

======

"Thank you for bringing me back," Raye whispered. She was now master of herself and could walk without tottering every few steps. Wufei had seen her to Relena's house. Inside he hated to be away from her after growing so close in such a short amount of time, but she _did_ have to sleep. "I must have behaved very badly."

"No, you were all right," Wufei assured her. The quiet of the night was interrupted by the arrival of Relena and several of her girlfriends. Relena seemed in high spirits and didn't even notice Wufei and Raye. She carried kitchen utensils, several other such knickknacks being held by her friends.

"Oh, I don't know what I'm gonna do with all this stuff! It was wonderful of you to give it to me!" She noticed Wufei and Raye at last. "Oh, hello, Wufei!" she greeted, patting him on the arm with a spatula.

"Hello, Miss Relena," he returned.

"Look, the girls gave me a kitchen shower!" Relena cried, displaying her gifts. "They went to an all-night drugstore and surprised me with a kitchen shower! Look!"

"That's… great, Miss Relena."

"You know, Wufei. We're eloping to get married, Heero and I."

"Good luck with that." _Eloping? What the hell is Heero thinking? Has he finally gone insane?_

"Thanks, Wufei. You two have a good evening." She winked and was off, her little group of friends following close behind.

"Miss Relena certainly seems happy," Wufei noted.

"She's in love," Raye stated.

"Yeah, I guess."

"I suppose you wouldn't know much about that, would you?" This question caught him off-guard. Wufei turned to see Raye's face: she looked sad with flushed cheeks.

"Why do you say that?"

"Because _you_ said it."

"Well, things are different now." She now turned to face him. They were staring into each other's eyes and the desire to kiss her was almost overpowering.

"How so?"

"Because…" Wufei could actually hear his heart beating. He had never been so nervous or flustered in all his life. "All at once there's you." He took a step towards her.

"I've… never been in love before," she muttered nervously. He took another step towards her.

"Neither have I."

======

"They're standing right outside!" squealed Mina into the phone. She had called Quatre out of sheer boredom and soon found herself in a great conversation with the shy musician. Although their personalities clashed horribly, she found with great delight that they had a lot in common. Quatre had mentioned how Duo called him concerning Trowa and Lita, and something about Wufei and Raye, and a quick check to the window showed Mina that at least one of the couples in question was in plain view.

"You're kidding."

"No. They're right…" She gasped and jumped to her feet. "I think he's going to kiss her!"

"Wufei?"

"Of course Wufei!" She held her breath in anticipation. "I'm telling you, Quatre, they are such a great couple! Oh, look at that! He did it!"

"Don't you think it's rude to spy on them?"

"Don't be silly. We do this to each other all the time." _You go, Raye! I knew you'd find a guy!_ Mina cheered. _I guess that leaves me and Amy._ "I bet you wish you could see this!"

"Not really." There was a pause as Quatre cleared his throat. "Mina, will you go on a date with me?"

"Sure, okay," she answered, not really paying attention. "Did Duo seem upset when he told you about Trowa and Lita?"

"He didn't seem too crushed… Mina, did you hear what I said?"

"Sure."

"Okay. How about we go to a movie?"

"Okay, whatever. Look at that! You should see the look on Raye's face! It's priceless!" Mina was glad she was the only one currently in the house; her friends would definitely think she had lost it.

"Mina, you're not listening."

"Sure I am. Movie. I gotta go and call Serena. She'll absolutely flip!"

"But Mina…" Mina hung up on him. She was in the middle of dialing Serena's number when it finally dawned on her. She dropped the phone, her mouth hanging open in shock.

"Oh, my gosh. Did he just ask me out?" 


	9. Promises

__

Nine: Promises

Heero and Relena's favorite restaurant was less lively than usual. Only a few diners occupied the place, and some of them were getting ready to leave. One table in particular sat in the corner. There was a sign on the table that read "Reserved" yet no one was sitting in it. Wufei entered the restaurant and took a seat at the table. A waitress came by.

"Will you be with Mr. Yuy's party, sir?"

"Is he here?"

"No, sir. He has not been here all evening."

"Give me a soda." The waitress nodded and went off to get his order. He watched the diners to pass the time. Quatre entered the restaurant and walked over to him.

"Wufei, have you seen Miss Relena?" Wufei was startled by the sudden question, but relaxed when he saw it was only Quatre. "I bring a message to her from Heero."

"Well, what's the message? And where's Heero?" Quatre sighed and slowly sank into the other chair. The waitress reappeared with Wufei's order. She turned to Quatre but he waved her off. 

"You see, Heero's aunt in St. Petersburg has suddenly taken ill with a…" Quatre paused as if trying to remember the word. "What you would call a…" He paused again, wrinkling his brow in thought.

"A rare tropical disease," Wufei suggested.

"That's not bad. So anyway, he has to… to, uh…" Wufei smiled a little; Quatre wasn't very good at lying.

"Quatre, what's the message? And _where is Heero_?" Quatre glanced around the restaurant warily, then leaned in closer.

"The sniper mission's still going on," he hissed.

"Since last night?"

"Bud Jugge being a big show-off does not wish the mission to terminate. In fact, he is most insistent." Quatre rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Heero's at the end of his rope."

"There's not much I can do about that." Relena came over and put her hand on Quatre's shoulder. Wufei nodded to her politely. Quatre stood up, looking a little awkward.

"I'll meet you outside."

"What about Heero's message?"

"Oh, yeah." Quatre turned to Relena. "Miss Relena, Heero's in St. Petersburg with a rare tropical ant." He paused to make sure he had gotten it right; when he realized he hadn't, he shrugged it off. "Good-bye."

"What?" Relena frowned. Quatre ignored her question. Relena sat down where he had once been sitting. "Wufei, I don't understand. Heero _has_ to come tonight! We're eloping to get married." Her face turned sad. "Is it a sniper mission again?"

"You know Heero," Wufei shrugged. Relena clicked her tongue angrily. "Why does it surprise you?"

"But he promised he'd change!"

"Change, change. Why is it all of a sudden you girls get a guy you like, you take 'em right back in for alterations?"

"And what about you men?" she countered. "Why can't you marry like other people, and live normal like people? Have a home with… wallpaper and… bookends." She smiled, a dreamy look in her eyes. Wufei shook his head. _I can't believe she actually thought Heero was going to marry her._

"No, Miss Relena."

"What do you mean, no?"

"Guys like Heero Yuy… and, yeah, Wufei Chang-- they don't belong in a life like that. So when girls like you get mixed up with guys like us, it's no good. It's just no good." He became suddenly very sad. He dropped a few coins on the table. "Well, I'll see you in a couple months."

"Where are you going?"

"I don't know; Beijing, maybe. I've got a ticket on a late plane."

"Will you see Heero before you go?" 

"Possibly," Wufei shrugged.

"Tell him, I never want to talk to him again…. Oh, and have him call me here." Wufei rolled his eyes. _I wish this girl would make up her mind for once._

"Miss Relena, why don't you find yourself another guy?"

"I can't!" she whined. "I love Heero. Just wait 'till _you_ fall for someone, then you'll find out." 

"Yeah," agreed Wufei grimly. He left her, his face grim. Relena sighed and idly pushed a fork back and forth on the table. She glanced sadly at the empty seat across from her.

"In other words,   
Just from sitting alone at a table reserved for two,   
A person can develop the flu  
You can bundle her up in her woolies,   
And I mean the warmest brand.   
You can wrap her in sweaters and coats,   
Till it's more than her frame can stand.   
If she still gets the feeling she's naked,   
From looking at her left hand,   
A person can develop the flu, the flu,   
A hundred and three point two!   
So much virus inside,   
That her microscope slide,   
Looks like a day at the zoo!   
Just from wanting her memories in writing,   
And a story her folks can be told,   
A person, can develop the flu."

======

"I hung up on him, Amy!" Mina shrieked, wringing her tissue into nonexistence. "He asked me out on a date and I hung up on him!" Amy listened to her friend but couldn't help being a bit amused at the situation. Mina had finished telling her the whole story about her conversation with Quatre and his sudden request for a date.

"Why?"

"I haven't the slightest idea! Amy, I'm such a big dope. He'll never want to go out with me now!" Mina grabbed another tissue from the box and dabbed at her eyes. "What do I do? You've got to help me, Amy!"

"Please calm down, Mina."

"Quatre asked me out! I can't even remember what he said!" The poor blonde started bawling and Amy patted her shoulder, looking completely clueless for the first time in her life.

"I'm sorry I'm not much help, Mina." At that moment Serena bounced into the room, almost literally. 

"Serena, help me!" Mina shrieked, throwing herself on the ditzy moon princess.

"No offense to Serena, but you must be pretty desperate, Mina!" Amy noted.

"Hey, what does that mean?" Serena growled. Mina was too busy wallowing in self-pity to notice what her friends were doing.

"Can we _please_ focus on me for once?!"

"Why? What's your problem?" asked Serena innocently. This only made Mina more upset. "It's not about a guy, is it?"

"Of course it's about a guy!!!"

"Lower the decimals, Mina, and tell me what's going on." Mina launched into her story yet again, pausing to make good use of her tissue every two sentences. "That was a pretty stupid thing to do, Mina. You know that, right?"

"Yeah! That's why I'm so upset!"

"Why can't you call him back and apologize?" There was a pause; Mina blinked in bewilderment.

"I guess… I didn't think about that." Serena and Amy groaned.

"You see, Mina?" Amy sighed. "You overreact too much." Serena agreed heartily to this statement. Mina ignored them and immediately set to work calling Quatre. 

"Hi, Quatre! No, nothing's wrong. I just…" Mina glanced over at her friends. They shook their heads and motioned for her to continue. "I wanted to call and ask when we're meeting for the movie." Serena gave her the thumb's up. "Okay, great. See you there." She hung up and flashed a grin at her friends. "I'm going on a date, you guys!"

======

Relena stomped down the street. She had a newspaper in her hands but she wasn't reading the words. She stared at them, sure enough, but not a single word registered. She was far too angry to read. She glanced up and saw Heero coming her way. She idly dropped the paper. He had been staring at the ground but looked up when he saw the paper drop.

"Relena!"

"Oh, what a coincidence!" she cried in pseudo-surprise.

"Relena, did Quatre explain to you about tonight? I hope you're not sore about it."

"Please!" she huffed. "Let's not have a vulgar scene! After all, we _are_ civilized people. We don't have to conduct ourselves _like a slob_!" She gave him a dirty look.

"Relena, what is this? You are my girl."

"Your girl? Please! If that weren't so amusing one would laugh at it."

"Relena, you're getting yourself all worked up-- over one lousy elopement!" She stared at him in shock. _One lousy elopement?_ she thought irritably. _I can't believe him!_ "Relena, please!"

"It's no use, Heero. I have succeeded in you not being able to upset me anymore. I've got you completely out of my mind!" She smiled triumphantly. His face dropped and she instantly regretted her last sentence. "Oh, Heero!"

"Relena, don't ever do that to me again, I can't stand it," he said, putting his arms around her. She nestled her head into his chest. "There's something I have to tell you, and this time I'll tell you the truth." He pushed her back so he could see her face. Relena felt herself blushing. No matter how many times she looked at Heero, he never seemed to be any less handsome.

"We're not getting married?"

"No, we're not."

"But…"

"That was a cover-up. You walked into us planning a sniper mission."

"Oh. I see," she muttered. She made to leave but he stood in her way.

"Hear me out. I'm sorry I lied, but I didn't want to crush your hopes. I promise you some day we _will_ get married. I'm not quite ready for that yet but I know I will be some day. I promise it'll happen, okay?" She tore away from him.

"You promise me this, you promise me that! You promise me anything under the sun!"

"But this time I'm telling the truth." She sighed and allowed him to take her in his arms again. She stared into his eyes.

"I don't know why, but I believe you."

"I love you, Relena," he whispered.

"Yes. And I love you, Heero." He gently kissed her on the lips.

======

Wufei found himself walking slower than usual. His thoughts were on Raye and Raye alone. He didn't even give Heero and Relena's relationship a moment in his mind; Raye dominated. He had previously made a list in his mind of all the reasons why the two of them _couldn't_ really be together, and afterwards he became thoroughly depressed. _Who knew love could do this to a person?_ If he had known it would come to this, would he have allowed himself to fall for Raye? Yes, he would have, with no regrets.

"Wufei!" He froze in his tracks. He knew that clear, beautiful sound from anywhere. "Wufei, where are you going?" He turned and smiled as Raye ran over to him. He fought the urge to take her in his arms then and there. She paused to catch her breath then repeated her question: "Where are you going?"

"Away."

"Why? For how long?"

"Well, I…" He paused and stared into her eyes. _What am I thinking? Can I really leave her, if only for a while?_ "Look, Raye. When girls like you get mixed with guys like me, it's no good. I'm no good."

"Is that why you're leaving?"

"Yes."

"But Wufei…" She drew closer and took his hand in hers. "Don't you understand? Love knows no boundaries."

"Raye, it's you that doesn't understand."

"Quiet!" she ordered, placing her finger on his lips. "Not another word. Stop feeling sorry for yourself, or looking over your shoulder at the past all the time. Here and now, this moment-- _that's_ what matters." She smiled and kissed his lips. _Oh, my god!_ Wufei awkwardly pulled away.

"Raye…"

"I love you, Wufei," she confessed. "Is that all right with you?" He allowed a genuine, happy smile to cross his face.

"Of course, as long as you allow me to love you."

======

The five girls met together and talked about all that had happened. It seemed as if none of them were very eager to leave this new world. Serena whined about never seeing Darien again; Amy was still working out that part. There was also the mess of their world never having the senshi again. Finally the girls decided to let what happened happen.

"After all, if we're meant to go back we'll get there somehow," was Amy's conclusion.

"I don't want to go back!" Lita decided. "I know we have a duty as senshi and that really should be more important than a guy, but… I love Trowa!" Her face glowed at the mention of his name.

"We all have reasons to stay," Amy admitted, "and w all have reasons to go. I guess in this instance love will have to conquer all." Three of the five girls grinned broadly. Actually, all five were grinning, but only three were smiling because of their reasons to stay.


	10. Conclusion

__

Ten: Conclusion

Quatre and Duo were taking a walk, each in their own thoughts. Things had certainly changed for them when the girls came. It was strange enough seeing Heero all gooey-eyed but Trowa and Wufei as well? It was almost sacrilegious. Duo didn't seem upset about losing Lita to Trowa. Quite the contrary: he seemed pleased with the way things were going. And judging from the expressions on Trowa and Wufei's faces, they were too.

"I can't believe how much things have changed," Duo sighed.

"I know," Quatre agreed. "I mean, we all nearly had a heart attack when Heero and Relena started seriously dating, and now Trowa and Wufei have girls."

"Jeez! I never thought of it that way! We're the only ones left without dates!"

"Yeah. That's pretty sad." Quatre shook his head. Duo pursed his lips, tapping his hip with his fingers.

"Well, I don't know. I've been thinking: who's luckier, us or them?"

"That's a good point," Quatre noted, nodding his head in agreement. "Those guys do some crazy things for their girlfriends. Look:

"What's playing at the Roxie?

I'll tell you what's playing at the Roxie,

A picture about a Mississippi man so in love with a Minnesota girl,

That he sacrifices everything and moves all the way to Biloxi.

That's what's playing at the Roxie."

Duo opened up a newspaper:

"What's in the Daily News?

I'll tell you what's in the Daily News,

A story about a guy who bought his wife a small ruby,

With what otherwise would've been his union dues.

That's what's in the Daily News."

Quatre: "What's happening all over?

I'll tell you what's happening all over,

Guys sitting at home by a television set

Who used to be something of a rover."

Both: "That's what's happening all over.

Love is a feeling that has licked 'em.

And it looks like Heero's just another victim."

Quatre: "Yes sir,

When you see a guy reach for stars in the sky,

You can bet that he's doing it for some doll."

Duo: "When you spot a John standing out in the rain,

Chances are he's insane as only a John can be for a Jane."

Quatre: "When you meet a gent payin' all kinds of rent

For a flat that could flatten the Taj Mahal,"

Both: "Call it sad, call it funny,   
But it's better than even money,   
That the guy's only doing for some doll."

Duo: "When you see a Joe saving half of his dough,   
You can bet they'll be minking it for some doll."

Quatre: "When a bum buys wine like a bum can't afford,   
It's a cinch that the bum is under the thumb of some little broad."

Duo: "When you meet a mug lately out of the jug,   
And he's still lifting platinum fal de rall,"

Both: "Call it hell, call it heaven,   
It's a probably twelve to seven,   
That the guy's only doing it for some doll."

The guys paused at the arrival of Lita Kino. She smiled and politely waved to them. If this had happened a few days ago, Duo would've been swooning. As it was, he merely returned the wave. Following close behind Lita was Trowa, who was carrying boxes and bags of things she had bought at the mall. She snapped her finger and at once he set the things on the ground and fished out some cash from his wallet. She grabbed it and fanned it in her face, then continued on her way. Trowa picked up the boxes, gave his friends an apologetic shrug, and obediently followed her. Quatre and Duo exchanged meaningful glances and shook their heads sadly.

Duo: "When you see a sport and his cash has run short,   
You can bet that he's banking with some doll."

Quatre: "When a guy wears tails with the front gleaming white,   
Who the hell do you think he's tickling pink on Saturday night?"

Duo: "When a lazy slob takes a good steady job,   
And he smells from Vitalis and Barbasol,"

Both: "Call it dumb, call it clever,   
Ah, but you can give odds forever,   
That the guy's only doing it for some doll,   
Some doll, some doll, some doll,   
That the guy's only doing it for some doll."

Suddenly Mina burst onto the scene. Quatre did a little half-jump in the air and tried desperately to hide behind Duo, which was not that easy to do. Mina glared at him with her hands on his hips. 

"Quatre! Where have you been? I thought we were going to the movies!" He smiled sheepishly but wisely chose not to respond. She went over to him and tugged on his arm insistently. "Come on or we'll miss all the previews!" She left, motioning for Quatre to follow her. 

"Yes, dear," he answered, trailing behind like a trained puppy. Duo chuckled to himself and spread his arms out wide.

"Call it sad, call it funny

But it's better than even money

That the guy's only doing it for some doll,

Some doll, some doll, some doll,

That the guy's only doing it for some doll!"

The End 


End file.
